Death by Lightning: Release date news, streaming details, cast details, and more about the upcoming Netflix historical drama

Death by Lightning might be one of the more exciting series this year, as it also might be relevant to the current-day US. The Historical drama miniseries, consisting of four episodes, boasts of Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' involvement as executive producers. Mike Makowsky created and showran the series, and Matt Ross has directed all episodes of the show.

The show releasing next month has history buffs hooked with its classical setting. The involvement of actors like Nick Offerman, Michael Shanon, Matthew Macfadyen, Bradley Whitford, Shea Whigham, and Betty Gilpin has fans hoping for an intriguing thriller with Netflix's Death by Lightning.

Death by Lightning release date:

As mentioned earlier, Death by Lightning will stream on Netflix on November 6, 2025. As it is a Netflix miniseries, it seems that we may get all four episodes of the series together on the same day; therefore, history buffs and thriller aficionados can binge the entire series together on the said date.

The Netflix series is based on author Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, which was published in 2011. The book covers the life of the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, and his assassin, Charles J. Guiteau.

How to stream the series?

The series will be accessible via streaming on Netflix; therefore, fans may get a chance to watch the entire series on the platform together. However, make sure that you are subscribed to the OTT platform before you can catch the entire season on November 6, 2025.

Who is involved in Death by Lightning?

We already know that the series is executive-produced by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, showrun by Mike Makowsky, and directed by Matt Ross. Death by Lightning is stacked with a talented cast consisting of actors like:

Michael Shannon plays James Garfield
Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles Guiteau
Bradley Whitford plays Senator James Blaine
Nick Offerman plays Vice President Chester Arthur
Paula Malcomson plays Franny Scoville, the sister of Charles Guiteau
Shea Whigham plays Senator Roscoe Conkling
Barry Shabaka Henley plays Senator Blanche Bruce
Vondie Curtis-Hall plays Frederick Douglass
Željko Ivanek plays Dr. Willard Bliss
Kyle Soller plays Robert Todd Lincoln

What is the miniseries about?

As mentioned earlier, the 2011 book Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President serves as the basis for the Netflix series. The series follows James Garfield and Charles Guiteau as the latter kills the former.

"Death by Lightning is a limited drama series that’s based on the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and Charles Guiteau — a man who was not only Garfield’s greatest admirer but also his assassin."

Showrunner Mike Makowsky promises that the Netflix series will be relevant even today despite being set in the 1800s:

“The theme of corruption in politics and our bureaucracy feels particularly evergreen these days. The idea of civil service reform and waging a battle to clean up the grift in our government — this is something that Garfield very much stood on the front lines of in his time. In 1881, it feels like America is sort of standing at a crossroads between the past and what the future of this country is going to look like, and it’s up to [people like Garfield] to really define how America, 100 years after its inception, is going to look and what kind of society they’re going to be.”

The four-episode miniseries will be made available on Netflix on November 6, 2025. It should satiate the history buff in you.

Netflix announces the release date for Death by Lightning starring Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen

Edited by Ravikumar N

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